Jack stand help for slider install (1 Viewer)

[USMCVader]

I have had Budbuilt sliders sitting for months in my garage waiting for weather that is warm and dry enough to put them on. Finally have weather that looks good for a couple days, but ran into a problem. I had planned on using ramps in the front and jack stands in the back like Taco2Cruiser does in the Budbuilt installation video...but my ramps slide all over the garage as I try to go on them, and even when I got that under control, they are still not giving me a lot of confidence since the tires are so big in relation to the tire resting point on top. I put the rear up on jack stands so I could get the steps off, but I am pretty sure the forward lean will not help when I install the sliders. I searched all over the 200 forum and while there are a lot of threads that mention using jack stands for the front, the only definite locations I found were on the frame behind the front tires. I am worried that may interfere with putting the sliders on, but maybe it will be ok? Looking for some advice so I can hopefully avoid discovery learning on my own. (My experience with that usually involves breaking things, trying to keep that to a minimum.)

 

[tbisaacs]

Here’s what I did

I have a 570 so I put the truck in highest suspension setting. At one point I parked on maxtrax for a little extra height.

 

[USMCVader]

I have been think of something like that. I have a bunch of 1x10 boards, and I really just need the front up a couple inches, so I could just drive it up on those and then put the back on stands again.

 

[SQRRRL]

 

[KenB]

Looking for some advice so I can hopefully avoid discovery learning on my own.

20 years ago while I was changing the clutch on an old Nissan Pathfinder I first drove the front wheels on top of ramps and then attempted to lift the whole rear with a floor jack placed on the pumpkin. I was going to place jackstand to hold up the rear once the floor jack lifted the back end high enough. I was kneeling behind the car right at the hitch receiver pumping the handle of the jack.

Two facts that appear obvious at this point are that floor jacks lift pads/arms swing in a small arc as they raise, and the parking brakes are only applied on the rear wheels.

As I lifted the Pathfinder the jack wheels didn’t move across the floor as designed to accommodate the arc of the lifting arms, the truck moved backwards on the ramps instead. I didn’t notice. As soon as the rear tires cleared the ground, the parking brake was out of the equation. The whole truck rolled down the ramps with the jacked up rear end riding on the wheels of the floor jack. In the blink of an eye I was pinned up against the wall by the truck that came racing down the ramps. The only thing that saved me was a wheelbarrow that was smashed up against the wall alongside me by the truck and prevented the truck from rolling all the way against the wall and crushing me instead. A week later I had to use a sledge hammer to straighten out the damage the wheelbarrow absorbed on my behalf.

Be careful and learn from my mistake. Use four jack stands, not two jack stands with ramps. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It was the closest I’ve come to serious personal bodily harm while working on a car. Hearing that it was demoed like this (or implied) on a Bud Built install video (or any other place) makes me cringe.

hth,
Ken
(currently a high school shop teacher with +20 years experience lifting cars almost daily at work)

 

[TNcamp]

Know anyone with an atv/motorcycle jack? I have used one of those on a couple of installs and they work great.

 

[USMCVader]

20 years ago while I was changing the clutch on an old Nissan Pathfinder I first drove the front wheels on top of ramps and then attempted to lift the whole rear with a floor jack placed on the pumpkin. I was going to place jackstand to hold up the rear once the floor jack lifted the back end high enough. I was kneeling behind the car right at the hitch receiver pumping the handle of the jack.

Two facts that appear obvious at this point are that floor jacks lift pads/arms swing in a small arc as they raise, and the parking brakes are only applied on the rear wheels.

As I lifted the Pathfinder the jack wheels didn’t move across the floor as designed to accommodate the arc of the lifting arms, the truck moved backwards on the ramps instead. I didn’t notice. As soon as the rear tires cleared the ground, the parking brake was out of the equation. The whole truck rolled down the ramps with the jacked up rear end riding on the wheels of the floor jack. In the blink of an eye I was pinned up against the wall by the truck that came racing down the ramps. The only thing that saved me was a wheelbarrow that was smashed up against the wall alongside me by the truck and prevented the truck from rolling all the way against the wall and crushing me instead. A week later I had to use a sledge hammer to straighten out the damage the wheelbarrow absorbed on my behalf.

Be careful and learn from my mistake. Use four jack stands, not two jack stands with ramps. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It was the closest I’ve come to serious personal bodily harm while working on a car. Hearing that it was demoed like this (or implied) on a Bud Built install video (or any other place) makes me cringe.

hth,
Ken
(currently a high school shop teacher with +20 years experience lifting cars almost daily at work)

Holy cow! I had thought about that potential when I saw the Budbuilt video, but thought that my ramps had enough of a “cup” in them where the tires rest to prevent roll back. As I ran my forehead against the problem today, I noticed that not only do the tires not sit inside the resting area because they are so wide, but also that the resting area has a slight backwards lean to it. (Which is why I said even though I solved the sliding problem, I have no confidence in them.). Glad that you are still around to pass on the experience, and confirm my desire for a different solution.

 

[USMCVader]

Know anyone with an atv/motorcycle jack? I have used one of those on a couple of installs and they work great.

No, know a couple folks with motorcycles, but no one with an ATV/motorcycle jack. Besides, lifting the sliders is not the issue, I need to lift the front of the car, ideally to put it on jack stands, although right now I think the jack stand points will be in the way of putting on the sliders.

 

[Lester did that]

use four ramps to do the lift you are looking for with this project. If the ramps are pushing away put some carpet scraps under each of them. It will give them some bite on the concrete. Roll on to them in 2nd gear if your still kicking them out. Back up the ramps with 4 jack stands or lumber at the jack points. never jack anything on ramps. It will roll a bit even with the ebrake.

 

[KLF]

Lock the center diff. Then the e-brake on the rear wheels also prevents the front wheels from turning (as long as you keep both wheels holding weight).

It will be very difficult to go up all 4 ramps simultaneously. Years ago at the 2nd 3FE Bash event (I think 2005), we were doing transfer case gear swaps on several FJ62s. Jason Peters tried to drive his truck up on 4 ramps at the same time, and he had his t-case engaged and both axles locked. Truck struggled to crawl up so he gave it some more skinny pedal. Well... it went up all right, then spit all 4 ramps out behind the truck. Terrifying and hilarious at the same time! One of the funniest things I've ever seen. So, if you try the 4-ramp method, get it on video!

 

[CharlieS]

Four Rhino ramps are the trick.

Not hard to do, go slow and steady. Low gear not required.

Not sure if it matters, but I back up onto them.

I have lifts too, but for this job, four ramps are the way to go.

 

[bloc]

Lock the center diff. Then the e-brake on the rear wheels also prevents the front wheels from turning (as long as you keep both wheels holding weight).

It will be very difficult to go up all 4 ramps simultaneously. Years ago at the 2nd 3FE Bash event (I think 2005), we were doing transfer case gear swaps on several FJ62s. Jason Peters tried to drive his truck up on 4 ramps at the same time, and he had his t-case engaged and both axles locked. Truck struggled to crawl up so he gave it some more skinny pedal. Well... it went up all right, then spit all 4 ramps out behind the truck. Terrifying and hilarious at the same time! One of the funniest things I've ever seen. So, if you try the 4-ramp method, get it on video!

To take it a step further put the case in low and this makes the Park position in the transmission even more solid.

I’ve put my 200 on 4 ramps before no problem, just have to be careful with the pedal. The torque of this engine helps.. pretty different from a 60 series.

 

[Lester did that]

Lock the center diff. Then the e-brake on the rear wheels also prevents the front wheels from turning (as long as you keep both wheels holding weight).

It will be very difficult to go up all 4 ramps simultaneously. Years ago at the 2nd 3FE Bash event (I think 2005), we were doing transfer case gear swaps on several FJ62s. Jason Peters tried to drive his truck up on 4 ramps at the same time, and he had his t-case engaged and both axles locked. Truck struggled to crawl up so he gave it some more skinny pedal. Well... it went up all right, then spit all 4 ramps out behind the truck. Terrifying and hilarious at the same time! One of the funniest things I've ever seen. So, if you try the 4-ramp method, get it on video!

Ok! This video might take a few weeks. No plans to do any work right now. But I will post a video when I do. I've tried it once and repeated numerous times with out fail. Almost ever time I crawl under for something. If everything is locked I would just assume that at least one would kick out followed by the rest of them? Violently no? Even with a feather foot? Everything is locked and loaded. I just set the ramps up touching all four tires. Back up maybe 6"to 8" put in drive with no gas and it rolls right up nicely and stops with almost no brake. Something like old carpet under the ramps and the ground keeps them from sliding around. Sure if you have the entire drivetrain locked up cranking on each wheel hard and heavy it will be hilarious with two ramps let alone 4 ramps. Why would you do that? Must have been an emergency situation with no other option?

 

[USMCVader]

Thank you for the four ramp idea, had not considered that since I have nine jack stands (4 of which are in use for a 1920 car whose wooden wheels are sitting in my basement waiting for a coating of epoxy) and two ramps. Unfortunately, and I hate to say it, but using four ramps promises to kick this into the next month, particularly with this ongoing virus lockdown. On top of that, after using rubber backed carpet today and still having the dang ramps slide around, my ramps and I are not seeing eye to eye... to the point where they will likely be up for sale soon.

 

[CharlieS]

Don't sell, you'll regret it. I have 10 ramps, 8 jack stands, a four post lift and a two post lift, and they all get used. Each job has unique requirements...